Chapter 12 – The Calm Before The Storm
D8 kehsihgsabgoiaghioah Omgawsh it's been so long since I've updated! Hey you lot! Let's get this on the road! MUSH MUSH!
Jason: DUDE! We're not dogs!
Nikki: Shut up Jason, don't talk to her like that when she's under pressure.
Echo: -sipping hot chocolate- Let's all sit down and enjoy a cuppa
HEY! This isn't the time to sit around and slack off! SOMEONE START THE CHAPTER!
Nikki: WE WILL! CHILL!
Don't talk back to me SLAVE!
Nikki: I'M NOT YOUR SLAVE!
Jason: Where the hell is Jenny? –wanders off- JEEENNNYYYY
Kai: -walks in- Uh oh…stressed out author again…we better get this started then. Ever-
Echo: Everyone enjoy! -waves casually-
Kai: Hey…that was my line….
Upon entering her room, Nikki didn't waste any time getting ready. She stripped off her uniform, and looked through her clothes. She wanted to look decent for Kai tonight, feeling that this wasn't going to be an ordinary date. She wasn't sure why, but she had this feeling that something big was going to happen. Thinking back to earlier when her boyfriend was acting distant, she felt a sense of dread creep into her. 'He wasn't going to break up with her was he?' She shook her head, ridding those doubts from her mind. She finally decided on her best pair of jeans, and a long sleeve blue top, the all round outfit bringing out her bright blue eyes.
Checking her watch, which read seven pm, she grabbed her phone and dialed Kai's number. A few rings later, she heard her boyfriends' voice. "Hey Nikki."
She smiled. "Hey, I'm all ready for tonight."
"Great! Come and meet me at the park."
She raised an eyebrow. "Why the park? Where are you?"
"You'll just have to see, and I'm there right now, I've been waiting for you."
Her eyes widened. "Oh! Ok! I'm on my way now!"
Kai chuckled. "Relax, there's no hurry, but I'll see you when you get here. Love you!"
She smiled softly. "Alright, I'll see you soon. Love you too. Bye.
She ended the call and for a moment gazed softly at her phone. He had so much patience, how long had he been waiting there for her? Well she wasn't going to make him wait any longer, so grabbing her bag (shoulder bag, not one of those girly purses), she walked out of the room, looking forward to her time with her boyfriend.
She walked quickly down the halls; her strides long but quiet. She was slightly nervous about the date, but she had no idea why. She and Kai had gone out on dates a countless number of times, yet there was something about tonight that made her slightly apprehensive. She was so caught up in her thoughts; she didn't notice Khris walking just as quickly towards her, who had his head down in deep thought. The two collided, both staggering backwards in surprise. Nikki smiled bemusedly when she saw the young soldier. Khris, however, had frozen in horror like he had just committed a serious crime. "Comma-I mean Nikki! I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention! I-
Nikki put her hand up. "It's perfectly alright Khris; I'm to blame as well. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. But as much as I'd love to chat, I'm in a bit of a hurry." She patted him on the shoulder as she passed him. "See you later alright?"
He nodded, suddenly incapable of speech. While it was surprising enough that she had in turn apologized to him, he had just noticed how she was dressed. He had never seen any of his commanding officers dressed casually. And he just happen to run into Nikki dressed in a top and jeans that showed her curves so nicely; he couldn't help the blush that appeared on his face. Shaking his head, he continued down the hall, a beautiful brunette Commander lingering in his mind.
Nikki hurried down the sidewalk, her eyes averting rapidly from side to side. Even though there was still another day before the battle, she still kept her guard up. They'd never know if someone was there watching their every move, so she made sure to be aware of her surroundings in case something happened.
Turning a final corner, she finally entered the park, and halted in her tracks, her eyes widening at the sight before her. Kai was leaning against a tree, waiting patiently. A picnic basket sitting on a blanket was at his feet, plates and glasses already set up. The most stunning sight, however, was the beauty covering the nature that surrounded her. Small white lights lit up the grass and tree near the picnic, giving everything around them a soft glow. She noticed they made up a walkway for her to walk down, the path ending where her boyfriend was standing.
She stood there in astonishment at this magnificent view. In all the years she had been with him, he had never set up a date as romantic as this. This just convinced her even more that he had something big planned. With a soft smile, she walked down the aisle of sparkling lights. Although she found everything beautiful, she fixed her gaze on the young man waiting for her at the end.
Kai heard someone walking towards him and turned his head to see his girlfriend making her way down the bright walkway, the lights making her hair and skin shine in the moonlight; he found himself hypnotized by her beauty. Lifting his eyes up, his gaze met hers and he smiled gently at her, his love for her swelling when she smiled back at him. He held his arms out in wordless greeting, and she willingly walked into his inviting embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. They stayed in that position for a few minutes, happy to just be with each other. But Kai remembered the reason he had asked her to meet him, so he gently pulled away to look at her. She gazed up at him, the reflection of the lights around them reflecting from her eyes. He once again found himself lost, gazing into her blue orbs. He had always found them captivating, and if he could, would stare into their depths forever. He reluctantly broke his trance, his mind returning to the task at hand, and stared lovingly at his girlfriend
"Glad you could make it." He whispered
She returned his loving gaze and smiled. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
He smiled back at her and then lifting his hand, gestured to the scene before them. "So what do you think?"
She gazed in wonder around her. "It's absolutely beautiful, how in the world did you set all this up so fast?"
He gave her a mysterious smile. "Ah, I will reveal that later, but now, shall we?" He once again gestured with his hand, this time to the food at their feet.
Nikki's eyes sparkled. "Yes, please. I'm starving!"
Kai chuckled. "Alright then,"
Nikki made herself comfortable on the blanket, her boyfriend sitting behind her. For the next half hour, they enjoyed the meal, now and then feeding each other. At one point, Nikki playfully held a grape close to Kai's mouth, and then quickly popped it into her own mouth. Kai had grabbed her waist and tickled her as punishment for teasing him. His heart soared at the sound of her laughter, thinking to himself how much he loved to hear such happiness come from her, happiness that he knew she deserved.
After their fun and they had filled themselves to their stomach's content, Kai realized that it was now or never. Doing his best to ignore the knots in his stomach, he turned to Nikki who, oblivious to her boyfriends' nervous state, was contently leaning against him. "Say Nikki?"
She looked up at him. "Yes Kai?
He smiled. "Do you think you can reach into the basket?"
She raised an eyebrow "Why, what's in there?"
He grinned. "Just a little something else for tonight."
She stared suspiciously at him for a moment, before shrugging and reaching for the basket, curious about what else her boyfriend had planned. Opening the lid, she peered inside, expecting more food for the picnic. Instead, a small velvet box stared up at her from the quiet corner of the basket. Nikki felt her body freeze as all air left her body, 'is that what she thought it was?' With a shaky hand, she picked up the box and stared at it, her over analyzing mind jumping back and forth to different conclusions about what this might mean. She turned to ask Kai what was going on, only to find him on one knee in front of her; her eyes widened as she finally realized what tonight had been all about.
Kai sheepishly smiled. "Do you think you could stand?"
Despite her shock, she couldn't help but chuckle. Still clutching the ring, she slowly rose to her feet, her stare fixated on her boyfriend. Once she was standing, he gently took the box from her and began speaking.
"Nikki, you know I've loved you ever since I laid eyes on you, and I know how cheesy and cliché that sounds." Nikki laughed. "But it's true…you've turned my life around and I just can't picture it without you." He paused for a moment, before pressing on. "When I was a boy, I made a promise to my father. He told me that one day I would meet someone that would change my life, and until I met that someone, I should save myself and all my love and devotion for her. At the time I had no idea what he was talking about, but the older I became the more I understood. For years I searched for the one girl that would make me happy, but to no avail. For a long time I was lost, feeling like I had no hope left of finding anyone…until the day I met you." By this point he was struggling with his emotions. So he looked towards the ground to attempt to control the lump forming in his throat. A hand touching the side of his head caused him to look up and he saw that he wasn't alone with what he was feeling; Nikki eyes, full of love and understanding, were urging him to continue, tears gathering and threatening to fall. Her hopeful gaze gave him the strength to keep going, so swallowing slightly he resumed speaking, "From the very instant I saw you, I knew immediately that there was something different and unique about you… I just couldn't help but fall in love, and the longer I knew you, the stronger the feeling became. And when we finally confessed our love to each other, I knew that I had made the right decision and that you were the other half of myself that I had been searching for my entire life." Finally satisfied with his speech, he lifted the box and opened it, revealing the sparkling ring inside. Nikki, who had been rather overwhelmed by his rather long and heartfelt confession, gasped loudly when she saw the most breathtaking and beautiful ring.
After gazing for a moment at the shimmering diamond, she turned her attention back to Kai who, giving her a gentle smile, took a deep breathe before speaking final words
"The moment I saw this ring, I immediately thought of you. The beauty and light that reflect from it are what I see each time I look into your eyes, and each time it sends me into a trance, telling me all the more just how beautiful you are."
Tears were now pouring down Nikki's faces, unable to be held back by the feeling of love and joy that were bursting from her heart. She kept her stare on him, waiting for that one question she knew that would change her life forever.
Kai watched his girlfriend, using this last moment to muster courage. If he was brave enough to confess all of that to her, then how hard can it be to ask one simple question? Taking a deep breathe, he let instinct take over before the two lovers heard him speak the words they had both been waiting for since the day they had fallen in love.
Nikki Clyne…Will you marry me?"
Nikki was barely able to choke back a sob; this was it…this was the feeling she had earlier. And hearing him confess everything to her, she knew then that there was no doubt why he had gone to so much trouble tonight. She wondered just how long he was planning to propose to her, which immediately brought back the memory from earlier that day when he was acting strangely and she suddenly understood why he had been so hesitant and nervous. He had been trying to propose then, but must've backed out at the last minute, scared of her reaction. She laughed inwardly, there was no way she could ever refuse him, and there was no one else she would rather marry. The reminder of marriage brought her attention back to Kai, who was anxiously awaiting her answer with a nervous expression, and for a moment, Nikki thought she caught a glimpse of sadness and disappointment. Smiling reassuringly at him, she held out her left hand, before saying the one word that would bind them together forever.
"Yes."
After asking her to marry him, his girlfriend had gone quiet and for a moment Kai was scared that her silence was a rejection. But she had obviously noticed his distress and had given him a smile that had lifted his spirits instantly. And when that one word escaped her lips, he felt so much relief that for a split second he thought he would collapse from exhaustion; he had been terrified that she wouldn't want to marry him. He never thought that one single word would be able to make him so happy then right at that very moment.
Wearing a huge grin, Kai reached out and took her hand. Holding it gently, he slipped the ring on and brought her hand up to place a gentle kiss on her fingers. Nikki smiled gently at his soft gesture, unable to express just how happy she was feeling at the moment. She was finally engaged to the love of her life, and couldn't wait for the day they would be sealed together as husband and wife.
Looking down, she saw her new fiancé smiling at her, happiness and relief clearly showing in his eyes. Giving him a soft smile, she bent down to his level and gently took his face in her hands before leaning in to kiss him lovingly. The moment their lips met, Kai stood up to properly wrap his arms around her while Nikki stretched hers to wrap around his broad shoulders, neither of them breaking the kiss. In that one moment, their love for each other grew. Now that the promise of being bonded in matrimony was with them, their bond became all that more unbreakable, nothing would ever break them apart.
After a few minutes they parted, leaning back to gaze at each other. Kai brought his right hand up and placed it on her cheek, stroking her soft skin with his thumb. Nikki brought her hand back to grasp it, relishing in the soft touch that she loved so much. They simultaneously leaned in to touch foreheads, breathing in the others' scent and basking in the loving atmosphere that was flowing around them, all the while never breaking their gazes.
With only a lips distance between them, Nikki whispered. "This has been the best night ever."
Kai smiled. "I'm so glad; you have no idea how nervous I've been."
Nikki quietly giggled, tapping his nose with her finger. "You had no reason to be, did you honestly think I was going to say no to you?"
Kai chuckled. "Well I guess it's only natural, I mean marriage is a big step."
She nodded in agreement, a bright smile on her face. "That's very true, but I wouldn't want it any other way."
Her fiancé grinned. "And I've just become the happiest man in the world."
Nikki giggled at his cliché statement, leaning forward to gently brush her lips against his. "Not to mention more romantic, tonight has been just amazing."
Kai's softly smiled at her. "Well we're pretty much done; do you feel like heading back?"
His question was instantly answered when she let out a big yawn. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."
He nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Let's go then." He noticed her looking back at the picnic. "Don't worry about that, I've already organized for someone to take care of it."
Nikki turned back to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "You really did have this night planned out didn't you?"
He grinned modestly. "Well it was all for you, so I did my best to make it perfect."
She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed contently. "Well it was perfect."
Kai noticed her voice was starting to sound sleepy, so giving her shoulder one last gentle squeeze, he lead them out of the park as all that was left of their romantic date was trees and grass blowing gently and soft lights shining into the night.
.
Meanwhile, outside of their room, Echo paced back and forth waiting for the two lovers to return from their date. Kai had told her all about his plans to propose, so that was why she was at that moment anxiously, and impatiently, getting ready to interrogate her two friends. She had noticed how nervous Kai had been about Nikki's answer, but she was more than confident that she would accept his proposal. She didn't normally think about romance much, but even she could tell that no one suited each other more than these two did, and she couldn't be any happier for her best friend.
She turned around to once again to continue her pacing, when the very couple on her thoughts appeared around a corner. She was about to loudly confront them, but the tired look on Nikki's face caused her to keep quiet. Seeing that they hadn't even noticed her yet, she scanned over the two, searching for any sign that Kai's thoroughly planned night was hopefully a success. Nikki arms were folded so she wasn't able to tell if she was wearing the ring or not. But judging from the contentment on Nikki's face and the loving gazes she was getting from her boyfriend, she guessed that their date had gone well.
Kai had spotted Echo at the corner of his eye the instant they turned that corner, but he was unable to turn his gaze away from his new fiancé. But he remembered that Echo didn't like to be ignored, so he reluctantly averted his gaze from Nikki to look at the younger girl. Nikki, who had been practically half asleep the whole way, smiled sleepily at her friend. Echo grinned at the pair, her eyes switching back and forth between the two, silently begging for some sort of news. Sensing her friends' desperation, Nikki turned to Kai, who stared quizzically at her.
She smiled at him, doing her best not to show just how tired she was. "You go in, I'll join you in a minute."
He gazed concernedly at her. "It's fine I can stay out here, you look exhausted Nikki."
She shook her head. "It won't take long." She leaned up to gently kiss him. "I'll just be a minute"
He reluctantly nodded, before turning and entering their room, closing the door behind him. The instant it was shut, Echo didn't waste any time pestering her friend. "So…. how did it go?"
Not wanting to keep her fiancé waiting, Nikki decided to just cut to the chase. Unfolding her arms, she held out her left hand to show the glittering topaz diamond sitting on her ring finger. The second she saw the ring, Echo squealed in delight, unable to hold back her excitement.
"I knew it! I knew you'd say yes!"
She grabbed Nikki arms and spun the two of them around in celebration, all the while laughing loudly. Nikki couldn't help but laugh as well, but all the spinning was making her head spin like a wheel. "Echo! I can barely see straight!"
Echo let go of her so rapidly that it sent Nikki staggering backwards slightly. Her younger friend immediately dashed forward to help her but she held up a hand. "I'm fine, I'm just tired that's all."
When her friend nodded she smiled. "Listen, if you like I'll tell you about everything when this is all over."
Echo smiled. "You have to promise you'll make it out alive, we have loads to catch up on."
Nikki grinned at her friend. "You've got yourself a deal, I've got too much to come back to." She lifted her hand towards her. "Both come back alive?"
Echo grabbed Nikki's hand in a firm hold and winked. "You got it."
Confirming their deal, they unclasped hands. Giving her best friend one last friendly squeeze on the shoulder, Nikki turned and walked into her room. Echo watched her friend with a concerned gaze. The fight that was approaching worried her. She didn't doubt that many lives would be lost, and it terrified her that her best friend would be right in the middle of it. She shook her head, no she wouldn't think like that, Nikki was a strong, capable pilot and she was sure she would end the conflict peacefully. With that reassuring thought, Echo made her way back to her own room to prepare herself for the inevitable battle.
Meanwhile in their room, Nikki was sitting on the edge of her bed staring blankly at her laptop screen. She was exhausted beyond anything after the days planning, but there was still one more person she needed help from, a person that was known for his intelligence and strategies on the battlefield. But no matter what she did there was always some level of interference, or someone with high skill intentionally blocking her. But she was determined to break through, she was a professional hacker herself and she was not going to let anyone stand in her way.
Kai, on the other hand, was sitting up in bed watching his fiancé. He was worried that this war was stressing her out more than she realized. He was hoping she would get some rest but she seemed more focused on contacting this mysterious soldier. Kai wondered what was so important about this guy that she would neglect her own health…sure she was protecting ORB but he still itched to know who this guy was. He was ripped from his thoughts when he heard Nikki sigh loudly.
He gingerly reached and put a hand on her shoulder. "You ok?"
Nikki groaned. "I've never failed to get through, why is this so hard?
Kai crawled over to her so he was sitting next to her on the bed. "These people are obviously highly trained Nikki, stopping people from getting through is probably their area of expertise."
She sighed. "I know…but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up, this country needs strong pilots, and he's the only definite person I can think of that can help us protect ORB."
Her fiancé smiled. "Then keep going, I know you have the ability to reach him.
Nikki smiled back at him. "Thanks."
With newly fresh determination, she turned back to her computer. Taking a deep breathe she closed her eyes and concentrated on what she knew, ignoring the waves of fatigue she was feeling. Then opening them again she started typing furiously on the keyboard, never taking her eyes away from the screen. This time she made progress, each block that flashed across the screen, she easily maneuvered her way around it. For almost an hour, Kai patiently watched her as her fingers danced over the keys. He was amazed how long she was holding on, he would've forfeited to these guys a while ago. He jumped when Nikki pumped her fist into the air.
"Got it! Ok now to just contact him."
He grinned, loving her enthusiasm. He continued watching as she pressed a few more keys then jabbed enter. For a moment there was silence and they both wondered if the last hour wasn't just wasted when suddenly a deep male voice spoke out.
"I have to say Miss Clyne, I'm rather impressed. No one from the outside has been able to make contact with me before."
Nikki smugly grinned. "Well I'll admit that your crew is a force to be reckoned with, I can tell they have been highly trained, but you'll have to do better than that do keep someone like me out."
The man chuckled. "Good to know of your determination….now…what can I do for you? There must be some reason you've spent all this time trying to reach me."
Nikki nodded, although the man could not see her. "Yes, it is. I am in a, shall we say, desperate situation. I don't normally resort to searching for someone that's in hiding, but this is of major importance. An entire country is at stake if we don't do something."
Her desperate plea grabbed his attention. "Entire country? Are you saying that there's another war?"
She sighed. "If we don't stop the army that will be invading, then yes, I'm afraid another full scale war will threaten to break out."
She heard him sigh. "Why is this happening again? Why do these people insist on war continuing to wreck havoc on our lives?"
Nikki leaned forward, carefully choosing her next words. "This is the reason I'm calling, we need the help of you and your men. This isn't just some ordinary fleet, this is a man out for revenge and he's brought together an army of soldiers with the same goal in their hearts. I am flying out to meet them tomorrow, so they can't spread their hatred around…. it would be an honor if you could join us."
There was silence again as Nikki's words lingered. The pilot had gone silent, supposedly pondering over her plea for help. She knew that for some personal reason he hid himself away and was apprehensive about his answer, but what if it wasn't enough? Would she have to try more means of persuasion? Several doubts swam through her mind making her head spin and begin to throb. Nikki grabbed her head between her hands in attempt to calm herself; this was not the time to over analyze things. She needed to stay calm and rational. A gentle, firm hand took hers and held it tightly. She turned to see Kai staring at her with concern; she smiled and shook her head, silently telling him she was fine.
Their heads snapped back to the computer when the pilot once again spoke. "Very well Miss Clyne, you have my support."
Nikki released a breathe of air she didn't realize she holding. "Thank you, I am so relieved, and please call me Nikki. I'm not a big fan of formalities."
"Very well Nikki, and considering we are now comrades in arms and you're leading this operation. You are technically now my commanding officer."
She smirked. "Yes that is true, but I won't let that restrict our acquaintance with each other. I want you to treat me like I am a casual friend you would run into on the street, alright?"
The pilot chuckled. "I'm liking you more and more, this ought to be fun."
Nikki laughed. "Well, first and foremost ill introduce you to others that will be helping as well. I have someone with me right now actually." She turned to Kai who was looking somewhat scared and hesitant but she ignored it. "Come on don't be shy, it's just a voice from a computer."
He mock glared at her. "That's beside the point."
She rolled her eyes. "You just have to introduce yourself, you don't have to say much."
His shoulders sunk in defeat. "Alright fine."
Grinning in victory, she shifted closer so that their shoulders pressed together, and then she once again turned to her new comrade. "This is Captain Kai Rodgericks of the Murasames."
Kai cleared his throat. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Pleasure to meet you as well Kai…but I must ask…you two sound like you're good or more than close friends."
Nikki smiled, impressed with his observation. "We are actually, we're getting married."
She could almost see the pleased smile on the pilots face. "Well, my congratulations to you both, the world needs more of what the two of you have, it's hard to come by these days."
Kai nodded. "Thank you, we appreciate it. You're one of the first to know actually."
The pilot was surprised. "Really? How long have you been engaged?"
Nikki took over. "He just proposed earlier tonight, so only a few hours."
"Aah newly engaged, well that's good to hear." His tone then turned serious. "Well it's been a pleasure to meet you both, but I need to know our rendezvous point and take my leave. This is a risky line to hold conversations, I have many hackers trying to break through."
Nikki nodded in understanding. "Very well, first thing tomorrow report to ORB Headquarters as early as you can. I have no idea when in the day they will be arriving but I do know that the man leading them will not be wasting any time attacking the city, so we need to be prepared."
"That I can do, I will be there at dawn with some fresh troops. I have only the most sufficient and highly trained soldiers here. That invading army will have a hard time cutting through us."
Nikki smiled. "That's just what I want to hear…by the way, I didn't get your name."
"I'll have to save that for when we meet in person, there are too many risks right now."She nodded. "Perfectly fine, I shall see you tomorrow. Thank you again for your help."
"I do what I can, until tomorrow Nikki."
The call abruptly ended before either of them could get another word in, but Nikki didn't mind too much. She had the help of both Echo and this mysterious pilot and for the first time since finding out about the invasion she felt confident. She knew they could win this, if she was going down, then she will take this bastard down with her.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt two strong arms wrap around her waist. Instantly recognizing her fiancés gentle touch, she put the computer to one side before shifting back to lean up against his chest. She brought her arms up to rest on his and the two just sat in comfortable silence. There was no need for words; both were scared of the outcome of the following day and were just happy enjoying the time they had left together. Kai was reluctant about letting his love charge right into the midst of everything, but knew there wasn't anything he could do. The best he could do was trust her to be the brave woman he knew she was, as she led their armies out to meet their inevitable fate.
End of Chapter
-sighs- aaaawwwww these cute lil moments between you two always make me feel all soft and fuzzy inside.
Nikki: -glares- Stop making it sound cheesier than it has to be
Kai: Calm down sweetie, you know how our author is. –puts arms around her-
Nikki: yeah I know – smiles at him and leans into hug-
…And that's my cue to leave, hey Echo wassup!
Echo: -typing on laptop- huh? Wassat?
-sighs- Dude everyones so caught up in their own lil damn world!
Jenny: -walks in- Hello everyone!
-pounces on her- JENNY! MY SAVIOUR! Pllleeaasseee keep me company! I'm surrounded by computer drones and so much mush its giving me cavities!
Jenny: -giggles- Sure I'll hang out, but don't you wanna show the preview first?
AH! Knew I was forgetting something! Here's the preview everyone! And we'll see you next time! Come on Jen let's go have some fun! –jumps in the air- WOOHOO!
Jenny: -laughs- Coming!
Khris fell silent. Engagement party? When had the two of them gotten engaged? Last he checked they were only dating…that's what Jason had said anyway. But then he suddenly realized, when they had run into Kai into the hall the previous day, he had told them that he had plans with Nikki that night. He must have had a romantic dinner or something set up so he could propose to her. And since this Echo girl was taking him to their engagement party, then it was obvious that Nikki must've accepted his proposal. He didn't know why, but he felt incredibly jealous. Despite her being three or four years older, he had always been attracted to her and was hoping he'd someday have a chance to prove himself to her. But then this Kai guy just comes along and sweeps her off her feet. He shook his head sadly to himself, 'who was he kidding anyway? He was only a sixteen-year-old Rookie in training, and she was a full grown twenty year old Zaft Commander. Why would she be interested in a scrawny loser like him?